Love Don't Come Easy
by Joeys1andOnly
Summary: PG-13 for some bad language. Rei finds herself in Pegasus's castle - will she find herself in his heart, too?
1. Default Chapter

Erm…just so you know, I realized AFTER I had written the story that I spelled Maximillion wrong the whole way through…so don't kill me over that, please!  I wrote this thing as one huge story, and I'm splitting it up as best as I can, and I'm sticking it together all at once on FF.net.  By the way – the song "Love Don't Come Easy" does NOT belong to me – it's a great song, one of my favorites, by the Moody Blues.  Please R+R!!

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Rei sighed as she strolled around the woods of the Duelist Kindom.  She was hopelessly alone and lost.  She had entered the tournament by herself, won her first duel by herself, had nine starchips by herself…

She shook that thought out of her mind.  None of her friends back home in England could afford to travel to the island with her, and miss school.

It was drawing towards night.  She decided to set up camp under a huge oak tree somewhere in the middle of the forest.  Somehow, the huge boughs of the massive tree made her feel safer…comforted by the thought, Rei lit a fire and sat Indian-style next to it, barbecuing a leg of chicken on a stick.

Yugi, Joey, Tristan, and Tea were wandering the woods when Joey's nose detected something.  "Heyyy…somebody's cookin' chicken somewhere around here!"

Tea rolled her eyes.  "My little Joey is so smart."

Tristan tapped his fingers together and looked around.  "Erm…well…would it hurt to see who it was?  I'm starving and we ate the last of our food!"

Yugi sighed.  "Do you really want another Mako Tsunami episode, Tristan?"

Tristan grinned.  "I just wanna eat!"

Without saying anything else, Tristan and Joey dashed off into the night.

Tea and Yugi stood and blinked for a moment before running after them.  "Hey, guys, wait up for us!"

Rei was about to bite into her chicken when she detected the sound snapping twigs and crunching leaves.  She immediately rose into battle stance.  She quickly drew a reasonably sized switchblade from the pocket of her jeans and flicked it out.  She waited for the intruders to show themselves.

Joey shouted as he ran.  "I see a clearin' up ahead, and firelight!  Time to chow down!"

Both Tristan and Joey burst through the last bit of hedge at the same time, ravenous looks on their faces.  However, the thoughts of food dissipated when they found themselves staring down at a wicked 7-inch switchblade that glistened in the firelight.  "WHOAA, Nelly!" Tristan shouted.  He leaped behind Joey for protection.

Yugi and Tea ran into the area at that precise moment.  They looked confusedly at the scenario: a tall, pretty, black-haired girl, wielding a knife that was aimed at Joey with Tristan cowering behind him.

"What's going on?" Yugi shouted.  All four of the others turned toward his voice.

Joey gulped and backed up.  "She's tryin' to kill me an' Tristan!"

Rei lowered her knife slightly.  "What are you doing, running around the woods so loudly this late at night?  I thought you were one of Pegasus's henchmen!"

Tristan seemed to recover himself; with a disgusted look, he peeled himself away from Joey and picked a blonde hair off his brown trenchcoat.  "Us?  Yeah right.  We're actually trying to get into his castle; he captured Yugi's grandfather's soul."  Yugi looked down sadly to the ground.  Tea threw a comforting arm around his small frame.

Rei gave a winning smile and pocketed her knife.  "I'm really sorry about this.  There are so many weird things going on around this island, you can never be too careful.  It's really hard, traveling alone…it's easier going in packs."  With this she eyed the group meaningly.

Then she looked at Tristan, who was gazing longingly at the fire.  She grinned again and sat down next to it.  "You guys look hungry.  I've got more than enough chicken here.  Want a bite to eat?  It'll be easier for me, with company."

Tristan and Joey immediately plopped down next to Rei, one on each side of her.  Tristan couldn't help but look at her wonderingly.  She certainly was very pretty.  She had long, jet-black hair that was tied back in a ponytail and still reached about halfway down her back.  Her eyes were, shockingly, a definite orange color, that glittered many different shades in the dim firelight.  She wore baggy blue jeans and white sneakers, and a light blue tee shirt on top of which was a dark purple-black vest that set off her hair.

Rei reached into her trusty knapsack and withdrew a package of chicken.  "Let's eat!"

Yugi and Tea, glad to rest after the run, sat on a log opposite of the fire.  All grabbed sticks lying near them and thrust the chicken onto them, and began to cook.  Soon the wonderful smell of the meat filled the air, and, of course, impatient Joey was the first one to take a bite of his chicken.

 "Yawrgh!!!"  Joey gagged as he spit his first sweet bite out into the fire.  Rei leaned over to inspect the meat on the end of the stick and giggled.  "It's still raw on the inside, silly.  You have to let it cook some more."  The rest of the group didn't laugh, only shook their heads at the hotheaded Brooklyn blond.

"Uh, yeah…I knew dat…I was only, er…testing it out."  He blushed a million shades of crimson and poked his meat back into the flames.

Tristan, wisely, waited a few more minutes before chewing his.  The school mentor sighed deeply as he took the wonderful feeling in.  "Mmmmm…"

Soon after, the rest began to enjoy the food.  After filling themselves to contentment, the happy duelists lay lazily about the fire talking.

"So how many star chips do you have, Rei?"  Of course, Yugi was the one to bring that up.

Rei lifted her gauntlet for the group to see.  "I've won nine so far."

Their eyes boggled.  "Wow!  Nine!"

Rei looked at Joey.  "How many do you have, Joey?"

Joey gazed down at his glove.  "I only have five, but I got a late start, you could say."

"How's that?"  Orange eyes looked quizzically across the fire to Tea, the voice of reason.  Tea explained the whole Weevil Underwood episode to her, with Yugi and Joey chiming in, and the occasional word from the quiet Tristan.

After telling the tale, Tea sat up with a happy look.  "Oh, Rei!  Do you want to travel around with us?  We'd be glad to have another travel buddy!"

The usually down-to-earth Tristan bolted upright.  "Of course!  I don't know why we didn't ask before…we'd love to have you along!"

Rei grinned, slung an arm around Tristan, and kissed him lightly on the cheek.  "If you don't mind to have me along, I'd love to stay with you guys!"

Tristan's face turned beet red at this motion, although he seemed very pleased to have it.

The fire began to burn low into its ashes.  The gang settled down for the night, the boys on one side of the flames and the girls on the other.  All fell fast asleep.  However, they were awakened in the middle of the night by voices and footsteps near the little camp.  Joey sat up.  "Hey, who's dat wanderin' around here so late at night?"

Rei slowly stood up, knife at the ready.  Her clear voice rang out in the dark.  "Who's there?"

Suddenly, the group was blinded by flashlights.  A deep male voice answered.  "Is there a young lady named Rei Pollack here?"

Three tall men wearing dark suits stepped into the clearing.  It was obviously a group of Maximilian Pegasus's men; however, they lacked the usual dark sunglasses, it being so late at night and all.

Tristan abandoned his sleeping bag to stand protectively beside Rei.  She answered.  "I'm Rei Pollack.  What do you want?"

"Mr. Pegasus wants to see you immediately in his castle," a second man said.

Yugi was confused.  "Why does he want Rei now?  In the middle of the night?"

Tristan spoke.  "Yeah, couldn't he wait until morning?"

The last man shot back, "Mr. Pegasus can do what he pleases when he pleases it.  This is his island, and you're playing by his rules.  We're instructed to take Ms. Pollack to the castle _right now_."

The bodyguard that was first to speak advanced toward Rei.  "Let's go, missie."

Tristan ran to stop the guards.  However, it did no good.  The second guard shoved Tristan rudely out of the way and grabbed Rei by the arm, disarming her of her knife at the same time.  Joey ran to where he fell to help him up.  Rei, seeing it was pointless to resist, tried reassuring the group.  "I'll…I'll be okay.  I guess I won't need food at the castle, so you can take it all.  I'll just need my cards and my clothes."

The last man nodded to the first, who went over to Rei's bag.  He emptied all of the food contents out of it onto the ground, then zipped it back up and shouldered it.  "We're out of here."

The second man began to drag Rei away.  Tristan, who was back on his feet, ran a few paces then stopped, his arm out to Rei.  "We'll…we'll get you back, Rei!"

She could only nod miserably before she was pulled through the shrubs and was gone.

Out of the clearing and in the safety of the darkness, the third dark man dialed a number on his cell phone and waited for it to ring.  It rang twice before a smooth voice answered the call.  "Pegasus speaking."

The guard's rough voice spoke.  "We've successfully captured the girl.  We're bringing her back to headquarters right away, sir."

A low chuckle could he heard on the other end.  "Good work."  Then the line went dead.

He folded the cell phone, pocketed it, then motioned to the other two men to leave.  Dragging Rei, they headed back toward the castle.

In the castle, Pegasus hung up the phone.  The handsome silver-haired man sat in his favorite seat, slowly twirling his wine glass in his right hand as he stared at it, deep in thought.  His one eye fixed on the red juice in it, watching it make little waves and splash gently against the sides.  He stopped twirling and took a sip of the red liquid.

"Sir?" Pegasus's personal bodyguard stood next to him.

He looked up, slightly annoyed.  "What is it?"

"I hope I'm not rude for asking, but why do you want this girl Rei Pollack?  I've never heard of her before the tournament."

Pegasus regained his outwardly genial demeanor and laughed lightly.  "It's not rude, just a bit nosy.  But since you're so faithful to me, I'll answer."

The guard bowed respectfully.

"This girl Rei has something I want…something very precious to me indeed.  Just as Yugi Motou and that boy Ryou Bakura do."

"A Millennium Item?"

Pegasus nodded slightly.  "Good boy.  Very quick.  Now, if you'll excuse me, I'd like some private time."

The guard bowed again and left the room hastily.  There was no telling when Maximilian Pegasus would turn on you.

He continued to sit in his seat, this time setting the glass down on the table and simply staring at it.  His good eye suddenly glassed over as he thought of some painful memory hidden deep inside his mind.  A tear threatened to fall before he angrily reached up and brushed it away.  'No memories.  No pain.'

He sat for a moment more before he thought of the behavior he had just displayed and, in a fit of rage, swiped the glass from the table with the back of his hand.  He shoved his chair back and strode from the room.

Pegasus was on his way up to his private quarters when his phone rang.  Still angry, he answered it with a "Dammit, what is it?"

The voice on the other end cleared its throat uncomfortably.  "Um, sorry to disturb you, sir, but the three men you sent out are back with the girl.  They're waiting in the main lobby for you."

Maximilian calmed himself down enough to answer.  "Thank you.  I'll be down in a moment."

Down in the lobby, Rei stood between two guards, struggling.  The sight of the castle roused the battling spirit within her, so she decided to fight to get free.  'Then I'll get off the island.  I'll be safe back home…'

However, her thoughts were disturbed at the sight of an important-looking man entering the lobby.  He was tall, with long, silvery hair and wore a red suit.  His step was confident and he moved toward the little party, stopping a few feet from them.  He spoke in a smooth, deep voice.

"My name is Maximilian Pegasus, but I'm sure you already know that, Ms. Pollack."

She stared defiantly back.  She wouldn't let physical attraction win her over.  "Who doesn't?  We all get to know you around here, with your henchmen flooding the island.  Do you keep them in little holes under the ground?"  Rei was inwardly pleased to note that the guards looked slightly offended at that remark.

His eye flashed.  'My, she is a quick one.  Very smart indeed.'  He gave a small smile, then motioned to the guards holding Rei.  "She's here now.  She won't run…will you, Ms. Pollack?"

She only looked back at him.  The guards holding her arms dropped them suddenly.  Rei, who had been resisting the grip the men had on her, fell forward.  She found herself landing in Pegasus's arms.

Pegasus looked down at her, his one eye widening slightly.  He hadn't held anybody in a long time…

They stayed like that for a moment longer until Rei, refusing to give in, straightened up.  She tightened her hands into fists.  "Of course I won't run.  What's the point?  You only have to wave your magic wand to have twenty men after me in a second."

He folded his arms, back to his normal suave self.  "Smart girl.  Very perceptive."

Rei did the same.  "I still have no idea why I'm here."

Pegasus laughed.  "You'll find out soon enough.  It will all become very clear to you…" He then turned to his bodyguard from earlier.  "Please escort Ms. Pollack to her room."  Then he turned on his heel and strode out of the lobby.

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The next chapter is up.  Keep reading!


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2…read on!

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Rei was dragged up the marble stairs and shoved into a room a few doors down the hall.  Her bag with her belongings was thrown in after her, which she barely caught.  The door was then slammed shut behind her, and she could hear a key being turned in the lock.  'Great,' she said to herself.  'I'm in a strange castle, with only my cards and my personal belongings, locked in a strange room with no idea what I'm doing here!'  She flopped down dejectedly on a canopy bed and, not noticing the splendors of the room, buried her face in her hands.  But she did not cry.

'She will not cry.' Pegasus watched all that happened in the room from his viewing area, where he could tap in to any camera on the island.  He had had a camera thoughtfully arranged in Rei's room.  He couldn't help it when he felt his heart break into a thousand pieces at the sight of her.  'What's wrong with you, Maxy boy?  You're not like this.'  He swilled juice in his cup stubbornly.  'You can't give in to a girl.'  He sipped.

Rei took her face out of her hands.  'No need to get too down.  Who knows – I could be here for a perfectly good reason!  I could be here because I've won the secret Duelist Kingdom lottery!' She walked over to a grand window on the opposite side of the room and sat on the window seat, oblivious of the hidden camera in her room.  'But if that were true, why am I locked in here like a prisoner?'  She leaned her chin on her hand and gazed out into the night.  She was surprised at all she could see from the window.  She had an almost 180 degree panoramic view of the island – she thoroughly enjoyed the sight of lit-up dueling stadiums.  Rei had a lot to see, so she simply sat and looked out the window.  Then she began to sing.

Pegasus almost dropped his glass when he first heard Rei's angelic voice drift through the microphone on the camera.  It was breathtaking.

The way you looked at me tonight,   
I've never seen that look   
In your eyes before.   
But, then again,  
I don't think I've ever looked,   
Had the time to spare,   
The will to share with you.

He gazed at her graceful form propped at the window.

_What have I missed?   
What have I done?   
I'm gonna turn back the tide   
Like it's just begun._

Time changes   
Time changes   
Time changes for the better.

A tear formed in Rei's eye as she sang her favorite song.  Then her favorite line.

After all we've been through 

_Love don't come easy for me…_

Pegasus buried his face in one hand, his elbow on the table.  It was so beautiful it was painful.

The way you looked into my eyes   
I could see the hurt   
I saw through your disguise,   
Just give me time,   
I can make it up to you.   
Let me heal the pain,   
I'm scared of losing you.

Rei continued to sing.  Usually when she thought of this song, she had somebody special in mind.  Now, she was confused – she had a special somebody in mind…but she had only met him a half hour ago…

_What have I missed?   
Where have I gone wrong?   
If I could turn back the time   
So we've just begun. _

Time changes   
Time changes   
Time changes for the better.

_After all we've been through,_

Love don't come easy for me… 

Pegasus stared at his juice and listened.  He was glad he was alone.

_What have I missed?   
What have I done?   
I'm gonna turn back the tide   
Like it's just begun. _

Time change,   
Time changes   
Time changes for the better.

Rei lost herself in her song.

_After all we've been through,   
Love don't come easy for me.   
Love don't come easy… _

After all we've been through,   
Love don't come easy for me.   
Love don't come easy…

At the final note, Rei's eyes slowly came back into focus.  Still with a sad, longing expression, she drifted back to her bed.  She wriggled under the covers of the great canopy and fell fast asleep.

Pegasus sat in his chair for two more hours, just watching her in slumber.  'No more love.  Not for me…'

Outside of Pegasus's door, two guards stood whispering to each other.  "What do ya think he's doin' in there?  He's just sittin' there starin' at that screen."

The second one answered.  "He does that a lot – when something interests him.  It's normal behavior for Mr. Pegasus.  I suggest you just leave it be and do your work."

Which they did.  They stood by the door and didn't let anybody in.

The next morning, when Rei woke up, she sat up in bed and tried hard to remember what had happened the night before.  Everything came back in a huge rush that almost bowled her over.  Realizing she hadn't changed before she had crawled into bed the night before, she rummaged through her bag for something decent to wear in the splendid castle.  "Damn," she spoke aloud.  "Everything I have is wrinkled and dirty…what on earth can I wear?"

Suddenly, a voice spoke out of nowhere – stiff, automated.  "You've got mail!"

"Wha-?" Rei swiveled around in confusion, and was surprised to see a rather magnificent computer desk sitting in the corner of the room.  "Hmm…I didn't notice that last night."

She walked over and plopped down in the swivel chair.  Shrugging off the fact that she was already logged into her e-mail account, 'Pegasus IS a computer nut,' she double-clicked the one new message and began to read it.

"Good morning, Sunshine!  I can tell you're having some clothing difficulty – but don't worry.  Everything you could possibly need for your little visit can be found in the walk-in closet in the opposite corner of the room.  Please be dressed and ready for breakfast at 9:00 AM sharp.  Guards will arrive at your room to assist you to the dining hall. – Max Pegasus"

Rei simply sat and stared at the screen, her bright orange eyes not taking in what she was reading.  'I can tell you're having some clothing difficulty…how did he know…?  And why did he call me Sunshine?  That's creepy…'

She sighed and found an alarm clock on a dresser next to her canopy bed.  It read 8:17 AM.  "Oh, well.  At least I have some time to get ready."

Pegasus saw all of this from his screen.  Sloshing his orange juice around in a wine glass, he watched Rei make her way to the closet and gasp at the amount of clothing he had provided her with.  He looked at her choose an ensemble for the morning ('A very nice choice,') and when she was about to change, he politely turned the camera view off.

After waiting fifteen minutes, he flicked it back on.  She was finished changing ('I hate women who take forever to dress.') Pegasus watched with interest as she explored the room more closely.  She noticed happily the large stereo system, equipped with a gigantic volume of CDs with almost every type of band imaginable.

'Wow…look at all these CDs!' Rei cried happily in her mind.  She reached out a slightly shaking hand to the book, then flipped through to the "M" section.  'Somebody took the time to alphabetize this…geez!' She stopped and clasped her hands together with joy when she found an almost complete volume of the Moody Blues.  "All right!"

All of the CD titles had been arranged by alphabet, too.  "S, S…I want S for 'Strange Times'…" Rei muttered to herself.  Finally, she found it.  "Here it is.  'Strange Times'!"

She popped the CD into the slot, and pushed the Track Skip button until it reached Track 6.  The music started to play.

The way you looked at me tonight,   
I've never seen that look   
In your eyes before.   
But, then again,  
I don't think I've ever looked,   
Had the time to spare,   
The will to share with you…

Pegasus almost choked on his orange juice.  'So _that's_ the song she sang last night!' He zoomed the camera onto the CD case she was holding.  'Hmm…the band is the Moody Blues…the song is "Love Don't Come Easy" on the album "Strange Times"…'

She went carelessly through a few more songs before he heard the knock at her door.  Breakfast time.

Pegasus turned the screen off and headed out the door to the dining hall.

Pegasus was already there when Rei entered the room, wearing a jean skirt, peasant top, and flats.  The top was a pale orange, which set off her bright orange eyes.

Maximilian Pegasus nodded to a seat next to him at the large table, complimenting her politely.  "You look lovely today.  A perfect outfit for a beautiful summer day."  He lifted his glass and tasted his grapefruit juice.  "I'd like to have a private breakfast, if you don't mind.  No guards in the room."  Rei nodded her head.  "Fine by me."

"Guards, would you please leave us alone?" Pegasus motioned toward a door.  The four guards left in a hurry and shut the large door behind them.

Rei sat with her hands in her lap, unsure of what to do.  Pegasus noted the uncomfortable situation and said, "Think of this as a breakfast buffet.  Eat what you want and how much of it you want."

They proceeded to eat in silence, the air being broken only by polite requests of "Could you pass the butter, please?" and "Are you finished with the coffee?"

However, that was about to change.  Pegasus was about to put a bite of cheese omelette into his mouth when Rei said, "What's going on here?"

Maximilian laid his fork down on his plate and rested his hand on the table, looking at her and saying, "What do you mean?"

Rei spread her hands over the food.  "All of this.  And plucking me out of the woods in the middle of the night…and how the heck did you know I was short on clothes?  I want an explanation!  I feel like a sitting duck!"

Pegasus eyed her quizzically.  "Sitting duck?  Interesting choice of words."  Rei flushed.  "Let's just say I had a sixth sense about the clothes."

"But why am I even here?"

Maximilian laughed.  "All in good time."

Rei sighed.  "Well, I hope the time is good soon.  I've only got nine star chips and I need one more to…" She drifted off.

Pegasus smirked.  "To what?  To _enter the castle_?  I'm pleased to note you've finally figured out that you're already here."

He went back to eating his omelette.  Rei poked idly at her scrambled eggs, then decided to flavor them a bit, and she reached for the salt, which was within her grasp.  However, Pegasus did too at the exact same time.  Rei's motion was slightly faster than Pegasus's was, so her hand hit the salt shaker right before his did.  His hand touched Rei's and rested on it gently.

Both were caught completely off guard.  Rei was truly embarrassed and felt her face turn red.  Pegasus showed his surprise by widening his eye, like he had done the night before as he caught Rei when she was falling.

Finally, Pegasus coughed and moved his hand away, reaching for the pepper instead.  He couldn't look at her for the rest of the morning meal.

About ten minutes later, Pegasus stood up.  "I have work to attend to…thank you for a lovely breakfast."  Then, with a fleeting smile, much unlike his usual cocky one, he swept out of the room.

Rei sat there, dumbfounded.  'That was weird.' She stood up.  She was, of course, smart enough to know her way back to her room by that time, so she decided to go there.

Pegasus was seated at his "work": he turned on the camera to Rei's room.  He had left abruptly on purpose; he figured that since her bedroom was the only place she knew, that's where she would go.  He was right.  He hastily connected his laptop to the Internet and began to type an e-mail message.

Rei was updating her diary on the past events when a familiar quirky voice rang out in the room.  "You've got mail!"

She dashed to her computer and pulled up the message.

"Lunch will be served at 12:30 PM exactly.  Please be ready on time.  Feel free to explore anywhere in the castle you wish to go. – Max Pegasus"

'Hmm…anywhere?  Oh well.  I guess I will, I have nothing better to do, and I can just ask a guard for directions in case I get lost.' But then Rei thought of a better idea.  She reached into her bag and pulled out a lined notebook and a pencil.  "I'll make a map of the castle.  I won't get lost, and I can go places without worrying."

Pegasus heard this statement, and smiled to himself.  'Clever.  Very clever.'

Rei spent the whole morning mapping out and labeling different wings and rooms.  She was on the third floor, in a particularly damp and dreary hallway, when she noticed a stone in the wall that protruded slightly.  "Hmm, wonder what that does."

She dropped her notebook on the ground and pocketed her pencil.  Rei placed her fingers around the sides of the stone and ran them up and down.  'Wonder if it's loose or something.' Then, by accident, she pushed on the stone.  The whole section of wall next to it creaked open slowly.

Rei gave a small shriek of surprise, then lost all feelings of fear as she peered into the dimly lighted staircase.  Grabbing her notebook, she wedged it underneath the huge door of stone 'So it can't shut behind me,' and she made her way up about twenty stairs.  She emerged in a very interesting room indeed.

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Oooh…cliffhanger!  Erm…not really…but that's okay too.  Next chapter is up!


	3. Chapter 3

Hey there!  Glad to see you're still with the story…R+R!

* * * * *

Pegasus, after Rei had left her room hours ago, had attended to small odds and ends before deciding to make his daily visit to his private room on the third floor.  Nobody except him knew about the room, and it had a secret entrance that you opened by pushing a seemingly loose stone in the wall.

Maximilian was almost at the entrance when he noticed something strange.  The door – _his_ door!  was wedged open by a disturbingly familiar red notebook.  He began to ascend the staircase.

Rei stood stupidly in the middle of the room.  It was an art gallery – tons and tons of oil paintings and old photos of people she did not know – except for one.  Pegasus.  He was hard to miss, even in the old days.  Rei smiled to herself as she ran her eyes over several pictures of him – his hair was not silver, but jet black, with only a few silvery highlights, and it was not nearly as long.  Well, maybe it was, but he had it tied back into a ponytail, so it was hard to say.  But she was surprised to see how happy he looked.  Obviously his family – sisters and brothers – or was it a wife and therefore his brother-in-law?

She was about halfway through browsing the pictures when she heard footsteps behind her, coming up the stairs.  She blinked around wildly to find somewhere to hide, but she knew it was hopeless.  She was going to get caught, no matter who it was.

So she could only stand there as Maximilian Pegasus reached the last step, with Rei in full view.

His breath caught in his throat.  "You!…" He was so angry he couldn't speak.  But he did anyway.  "What…are you doing up here?" He went towards Rei menacingly.

She backed up nervously.  He looked dangerous.  "I…well…I was mapping the third floor when I noticed this stone that kind of stuck out, so I pushed it by accident…"

Pegasus was now close enough to grab Rei by the collar.  He backed her up to the wall behind her and shoved her hard against it.  She was struggling for breath.  Pegasus was inches from her face.  Even in this perilous position, she couldn't help but notice his fine fragrance.

Maximilian was so angry, he actually lifted Rei up off the floor with one hand.  So there she hung, helplessly, pinned to the wall a foot in the air, right between a single shot of a brown haired girl and a portrait of a young Pegasus.  She began to choke.  "Max…" That was all she could get out before having to breathe again.  She put up both hands to attempt to remove his hand from her throat.  When that didn't work, she resorted to fierce struggling.

Pegasus's eye was like a flame.  His single orange eye bored into her bright orange ones.  "_Bitch_."  That hurt Rei more than being strangled.  "How dare you come into my private area?"

Rei decided to hang limp to save her breath.  "I told you, it was an accident!…"

She began to see spots.  Rei felt extremely lightheaded.  The last word she could choke out was "Max!" before collapsing altogether.

Maximilian stood stunned.  He had almost killed this poor girl over his stupid little art collection.  He gently lowered Rei to the floor and kneeled next to her unconscious body.  Pegasus just stayed there; looking into her face as she lay on the cold floor.  Then, without knowing what he was doing, the swept the limp form into his arms and carried her out of the area.  In the hallway, he pocketed Rei's red notebook and pushed the stone in the wall.  The secret door slid shut with a loud grating noise.

About halfway to Rei's bedroom (where Maximilian was taking her) she began to stir in his arms.  She opened her big orange eyes slowly and tried hard to get them to focus.  When Rei finally could see who was carrying her, she opened her mouth to protest.  "What do you think you're…"

He quickly brought a hand up to her mouth to silence the girl.  When he spoke, his voice was soft and comforting.  "Please…don't speak."

When Pegasus was sure she would not talk, he lifted his hand off of her mouth.  When they reached Rei's bedroom, he smoothly opened the door and walked over to her bed.  Maximilian gently laid the now fully awake form on top of the covers.  Then he sat down on the edge of the bed and didn't move.

Rei narrowed her eyes and looked at him dubiously.  "What do you want?  Going to try to choke me some more?" She attempted to inch away from where he sat.

Pegasus only looked at her sadly.  "That's…not like me…" he began to say.

Then she began to feel her head swim again.  A darkness like a black curtain seemed to settle over her eyes and she faded back into unconsciousness.

When Rei woke again, her head felt a little foggy and she found it hard to move.  When she finally urged her limbs to get going, she stood up and stretched.  Then she noticed a slip of paper lying on the sheets on her bed.  She picked it up and read the neat handwriting.

"That's not like me.  Not at all.  But that area I considered to be my only private area in the entire castle, and all those pictures are a part of a very painful past.  I felt violated when I saw you standing there.  I know that you didn't mean any harm.  Please forgive me. – Max"

Rei dropped the piece of paper onto her dresser.  She sighed deeply and flopped back on her bed.  Of course she could forgive him.  She didn't see how she couldn't.  Tucking her hands behind her head, she stared up and the canopy of the massive bed and sang to comfort herself.

_After all we've been through,_

Love don't come easy for me… 

Pegasus sipped fruit juice and watched.  He had, by this time, memorized the words to the song.  He looked sorrowfully at the silent figure on the screen and sang quietly to himself.

The way you looked into my eyes   
I could see the hurt   
I saw through your disguise,   
Just give me time,   
I can make it up to you.   
Let me heal the pain,   
I'm scared of losing you.

Rei got off the bed and, still singing the words in her mind, wandered out the door.  She suddenly noticed a door across the hall she hadn't seen previously.  Her hand hit the knob and she opened it slowly.  She peeked through the crack and found a beautiful outdoor garden.

"Look at all the flowers!" She dashed forward and buried her face in a bunch of tulips.  If there was anything Rei loved more than singing, it was nature.  She continued to wander around and admire the lovely blooms.  The air smelled wonderfully fresh.  She hadn't noticed how stuffy the castle could get at times.

Pegasus decided he had to clear his mind.  Standing up, he shooed his guards away from him so he could be in peace and made his way to the garden door.  He gently turned the knob and entered the place.  Crossing his hands behind his back, he began to make his way through the garden towards the center – not knowing he was going the way that Rei was.  

Rei chose one of the many paths in the garden and decided to follow it to what she thought was the middle, stopping every few moments to admire some chrysanthemums or some roses.  The bright summer sun hit her beautiful black hair and warmed it in a matter of minutes.  She temporarily forgot all her troubles and embraced the solitude.

She found herself wandering into a large circle of path that wrapped around a center section of daisies.  Off to her left was a beautiful wood gazebo.  She climbed inside it and sat down on one of the sides, just gazing at the lovely flowers blowing gently in the wind.

At the same time, Pegasus entered the middle section.  He didn't notice Rei at first; but she noticed him.  'Can you believe it?  Twice in one day…' She knew there was no escape, yet again.

Finally, Maximilian turned toward the gazebo and saw a mortified Rei sitting there.  Surprised, he made his way slowly towards it.

"Go away!  Or is this a private area too?" Rei cried, leaping up.

In the gazebo, Pegasus shook his head and sat down where Rei had been previously sitting.  "No, this is not a private area of mine.  You're welcome to be here."

When she saw he was being truthful, she sat down next to him on the bench.  He took the opportunity to state his apologies.

"I…I really shouldn't have gotten so angry at you earlier," he said in his smooth voice.  "It's just that…that place is very special to me, and up until now I thought it was my own…" he drifted off, unable to put into words what he thought.

Rei smiled a little.  "It's okay.  I really shouldn't have been snooping around in there."  She sighed and brought her legs up to her chest, wrapping her arms around them to keep them there.  She rested her head on her knees and hummed her song.  "_After all we've been through, love don't come easy for me…_"

Pegasus sat and listened to her.  Then Rei suddenly stopped humming and turned towards Pegasus.  "Please tell me why I'm being locked in this castle like a prisoner!"

He closed his eye.  "Whatever do you mean?"

Rei leaned forward intently on her hands.  "Don't you think I hear the key turn in the lock every night?  Are you afraid I'm going to run somewhere?"

"You have something that I want," Pegasus said, looking sideways at her.

Rei leaned back, confused.  "What do I have that you could possibly want?"

Maximilian turned to face her.  He scanned his eyes over her smooth neck and caught sight of a brown cord that was wrapped around her neck and went under her shirt.  He gently leaned his hand out and hooked one finger under the cord, bringing it out from under her shirt.  Pegasus smiled triumphantly as he saw the figure in his hand.  "This is what I want."

"My pendant?"  Rei looked down upon it.  It was an above-average sized ankh, hanging on a brown cord.  There was a Sennen eye located on the ankh where the head of it touched the cross bar.

"Oh, it's much more than a pendant," he assured her.  "Much more."

Rei narrowed her eyes.  "I know that."

Pegasus closed his fist around the object.  "What?"

Sighing, she reached up both hands and gently released Maximilian's hold on the object, then held it in her own, studying it.  "It's a Millennium Item."

* * * * *

*gasp* How did she know it was a Millennium Item?!  Read on to find out!


	4. Chapter 4

Erg…getting bored yet?  No?  Great!  Then you won't mind R+R!

* * * * *

Pegasus was taken aback.  "You…you know about the Millennium Items?"

She shook her head.  "Not much.  Not much at all.  I know of four in existence – my ankh, Yugi Motou's puzzle, Ryou Bakura's ring, and…" She looked at him full in the face.  "Your Millennium eye."

"And you know what my eye does?" He trembled a little.  The jig was up – at least with one person.

"Of course I do.  You know what happens in a duel before you even start.  You can see into the other player's hand…"

She couldn't even really think about it.  It was too amazing.

"So…you really took out your left eye and put the Millennium eye in?" she whispered.

He nodded, looking at the ground.  For some reason, he felt ashamed having her know.

Rei reached up to Pegasus's face.  She gently brushed away the hair that covered his Millennium eye and stared at the gold object.

Maximilian sat stiff, too frightened to move.  When she pulled her hand away, he spoke, trying to keep his voice smooth and normal.  "Hideous, isn't it?"  Pegasus sounded more confident than he felt.

"Not really," Rei said, shrugging her shoulders.  "It's actually quite dashing.  Sort of like…like a pirate with a patch."  She smiled winningly.

"A pirate?" he said skeptically.

"Sure," she answered.  "Although you must have had such beautiful eyes…why would you want to do that to yourself?"

Pegasus studied his fingernails, not answering.

Rei noticed that he was uncomfortable.  "Well, um…your remaining eye is very lovely.  It's a very nice shade of orange."

He looked up.  "So are yours.  They're practically the same as mine."

Silence.  Then Rei spoke.  "So I guess I won't be leaving until I give you the item, right?"

"You guessed correctly," he said.  "But I won't take it from you by force.  You'll stay until you give it willingly."  He thought.  "How did you know it was a Millennium Item?"

She thought about the campfire and her new friends.  "From Yugi Motou and his gang…they told me all about the items…and I showed them mine, and Yugi said it was certainly an item."

More silence.  Pegasus was deep in thought.  "Just so you know, there's going to be a charity ball tonight here in the castle," he said.  Rei stared at him.  "You have the choice of either staying locked in your room or attending it."

"I…I guess I'll go," she said.  Nervously, she grasped a piece of her hair and twisted it.  A bad habit she had.

Pegasus nodded.  "I thought so."  He cleared his throat.  "You have a large selection of ball gowns to wear.  Choose whichever you'd like."

Suddenly, Rei reached up and wrapped her arms around his neck.  "Thank you…"

He was stunned.  "For…for what?"  Nobody had showed him any emotion in a long time.

"I don't know…everything's been lovely.  Even if I'm being forced to stay here, it really is very pleasant."

"Oh…" Unsure what to do, he decided on hesitatingly putting his arms on her back.  He hadn't remembered how good it felt to hold a perfect person in his arms…she was beautiful, kind, intelligent, comforting…Pegasus rattled off adjectives in his mind, one by one.

Finally, Rei let go.  "I have to get ready for the ball…I don't even know what I have in my closet."  She stood up to leave.  "See you tonight?"

Maximilian could only nod.  Rei turned and swept out of the gazebo, her black hair shimmering in the late afternoon sun.  She turned the corner she had come from and was gone.

He stayed in the gazebo a few more moments, then got up and proceeded to his chambers to prepare for the ball.

Rei poked through her closet, her Moody Blues playing softly in the background.  "What can I wear in here?  Not much…orange eyes don't go with anything…" Then she found the perfect thing.  She lifted it up to herself in front of the full length mirror and smiled happily.

It was an ankle-length ball gown, pure white, shimmery all over, with one-inch thick straps.  She peered in the closet where the dress had previously hung, and found white gloves and white heels to match it.  Rei threw off her clothes and put on her robe.  'I'll have to put the dress on first, so I don't ruin my hair getting it on,' she thought to herself.  She lay on the bed, thinking about how to do her hair.  When the thought of something creative, Rei grabbed all the needed accessories and ran into her master bathroom, shut the door, and got to work.

Seven o'clock rolled around.  Most of the guests had arrived, the men wearing tuxedos and the women in evening dresses.  Even Pegasus had given up his normal red outfit for a black tux.  He wished to tie his long hair back, but he couldn't for fear that they would notice the Millennium eye, so he left his hair as it was.

The band played the classical music softly.  Maximilian was forced to make idle chat with his guests, chat about things he wasn't remotely interested in.  Sports, the stock market.  Nothing exciting.  He was bored out of his mind.

Then the double doors opened, the door that the guests came in.  A beautiful black-haired girl with orange eyes entered, wearing a long white ball gown, white elbow gloves, and heels.  She had decided to tie her hair back in a long braid and then wrap it around her head.

Maximillian Pegasus was stunned, as were several of the other guests.  Obviously, nobody knew who she was.

Her bright eyes scanned the throng of people, and they settled with recognition on Pegasus.  She swept with grace towards him.

He couldn't tear his eyes away.  If she was beautiful before-!

Rei finally reached him.  "Sorry I'm late – I had some trouble with my straightening iron…" she left off, noticing Pegasus staring at her.  "Um…is something wrong, Max?"

Max.  "No…not at all, Ms. Pollack," he assured her, bowing slightly.

She rolled her eyes and punched him lightly in the arm.  "Will you cut the 'Ms. Pollack' stuff, at least for tonight?  I feel like an old lady buying groceries."

"As you wish," he answered, with a small smile.

"Thank you!" Rei said.  Then she looked toward the dance floor, at the couples dancing happily.  She glanced at Pegasus.  "Come on, let's dance!"

Maximilian coughed nervously and straightened his tie.  "Er, well, I don't dance …"

Rei grabbed his hand and pulled him to the floor.  "Silly.  Of course you do."

Not wanting to make a scene, he allowed himself to be dragged along willingly.  Rei stopped at an open spot.  "Here's good."

They began to dance to the light music.  Both were surprised at how good of a dancer the other was.

Pegasus actually started to enjoy himself.  'But what if we get to a slow song and she doesn't want to…' He tried to forget about that possibility as he moved.

And then, of course, a slow song started.  Maximilian looked down at Rei for a moment, and was taken off guard when she leaned into him and took his hand.  He squeezed it lightly and put his other arm across her back.

'Nobody knows his good side…' Rei thought to herself.  'Everybody thinks he's cold and heartless…' But she didn't care about anybody else that evening.  She sighed happily and rested her head against Maximilian's chest.

'It seems like she's trying to reach out to me.  Even after I almost killed her this morning…'

They danced until the song ended.  When it did, both Rei and Pegasus stopped moving, but they held their positions, not wanting to let go of each other.  Pegasus looked down.  "You're a very good dancer."

Rei gazed at him.  "You are, too."

The leader of the band went up to the microphone.  "We'll keep playing after a short break.  Then get ready to _really_ rock and roll!"

"What the heck does that mean?" Rei asked Maximilian, finally letting go.

"After the band plays classical and jazz music for a while, they switch to some more modern music.  Nothing like rap, but some of the 'golden oldies', you could say."

Rei nodded.  "Oh."

Pegasus held out his arm.  "Hungry?"

She put her arm through his.  "Sure."

They walked off the floor together, both thinking different things.

'She really is beautiful…am I in love?  No, that can't be…I've only known her for two days.  It must be something else.  Maybe it's…brotherly love?'

 'Even though he's got me here because of my Millennium Item, he really has been a gentleman these two days…except the little incident on the third floor.  But anybody could have made that mistake…even me.  I feel so close to him…'

They reached the food table and got into different conversations.  The band rested for about half an hour and got ready to play again.  The leader stepped up to the microphone again.  "Okay…our first number will be one which I'm sure you all know…it's 'Eight Days a Week' by none other than the Beatles!"

Rei hastily put her wine glass down on a table and ran over to Pegasus.  "Come on!"

He allowed himself to be dragged for the second time to the floor.  All the couples seemed happier dancing to something with a livelier beat than the boring classical music.  Rei was having the time of her life.

_Love you every day, girl,_

_Always on my mind._

_One thing I can say, girl,_

_Love you all the time._

_Hold me, love me,_

_Hold me, love me,_

_I ain't got nothin' but love, girl,_

_Eight days a week…_

Pegasus was stunned at how true the song was to him.  It hit him like a thunderbolt, as he was twirling Rei.  'I'm in love…' The statement he made to himself took a huge load off his mind.  He was finally being true to himself…

The song ended.  Rei, laughing happily, hugged Maximilian.  He was now not ashamed to hug her back.

The leader went to the mike.  "I'm glad you guys enjoyed that Beatles hit…now here's one that's not quite so well known, but is by one of my favorite bands.  It's a slow dance, so get ready!  This is 'Love Don't Come Easy' by the Moody Blues!"

* * * * *

Wow…it's Rei's favorite song!  *gasp* Please keep reading!


	5. Chapter 5

OMG…Rei's favorite song!  R+R, please!

* * * * *

Rei gasped.  Maximilian looked down.  "Something wrong?"

"This is my favorite song," she said, her eyes filling with happy tears.

Pegasus gently took Rei's hand and pulled her close to him.  He leaned down and whispered in her ear.  "I know."

Her shining eyes looked up to him.  "How did you…"

He pressed a finger to her lips.  "Shhh…"

_The way you looked at me tonight,   
I've never seen that look   
In your eyes before.   
But, then again,  
I don't think I've ever looked,   
Had the time to spare,   
The will to share with you…_

Rei began to cry softly.

_After all we've been through,_

_Love don't come easy for me…_

Pegasus stroked her hair gently, and sang the next part of the song.

_The way you looked into my eyes   
I could see the hurt   
I saw through your disguise,   
Just give me time,   
I can make it up to you.   
Let me heal the pain,   
I'm scared of losing you._

Rei looked up, startled.

_After all we've been through,_

_Love don't come easy for me…_

'Oh my god…is he trying to tell me that he…no.  He probably just knows the song and wants to sing…'

The final notes died out.  Maximilian looked down into Rei's beautiful face.  He saw a tear about to fall and brushed it away with his hand.  "Please don't cry…"

"It's just that…I'm so happy…"

Pegasus took her hand in both of his.  "I am too."

He saw that she needed some rest.  Maximilian gently steered her out of the ballroom and onto a balcony that only he knew about, into the clear warm summer night.

"This is such a beautiful island," Rei said, leaning her elbows on the ledge.

"It is indeed," Pegasus agreed.  He rested one hand on the balcony and put the other on his hip, crossing one foot in front of the other.

She thought.  "Are you a fan of the Moody Blues?" she inquired.

"Not really," he said with a small smile.

"Then…how did you know the words to that song?"

He didn't answer; only stared out into the starry sky.

Rei narrowed her eyes accusingly.  "You heard me sing."

"Once or twice."

Neither spoke for a few minutes; then Rei broke the still air.  "I've been thinking…the Millennium Item…if you really want it…you can have it."

Pegasus looked down at her, sadness filling his heart.  "You want to leave." He said it as a statement rather than a question.

"Oh, no!  It's going to kill me to leave here…I love it so much…" Rei suddenly realized what she had said and shut up.

"Then don't leave."  Pegasus laid it out so simply.  "Stay.  Stay here with me…" He averted his gaze to the floor.

"Max…"

"I'm sorry.  I shouldn't have said that.  It's your decision whether you want to go or stay.  I'm can't decide for you…"

Rei fingered her Millennium Item.  "But…what about this?" She held it in her palm.

Pegasus took her hand and gently closed it around the ankh.  "It's yours.  I had absolutely no right to try to take it from you by force…by keeping you here against your will…it was wrong.  I see that now.  So you are free to go, and you don't have to give anything at all to me."

He released Rei's hand and turned back to the sky, both arms leaning on the ledge.  He gazed out into the night.

Rei stared at her Item, then took a step closer to Pegasus.  "Max…"

He whirled around.  Pegasus hadn't realized how close she was to him, and so when he turned his face was only inches from hers.  Orange eyes looked into orange eye.

"Rei." She realized it was the first time he had called her by her first name.

Pegasus wrapped his arms around her shoulders.

_Just give me time,   
I can make it up to you.   
Let me heal the pain,   
I'm scared of losing you…_

Rei drew her arms around his waist and listened to his voice.

_What have I missed?   
Where have I gone wrong?   
I'm gonna turn back the time   
So we've just begun…_

Time changes   
Time changes   
Time changes for the better.

_After all we've been through,_

_Love don't come easy for me…_

Rei began to cry again.

Maximilian hugged her tighter.  He spoke in his smooth, silvery voice.  "You do know I'm in love with you."

She nodded, unable to speak.  Pegasus gently rubbed her back, calming her down.  Rei looked up with her bright orange tearful eyes at him.  Pegasus seized the opportunity to lean down and gently press his mouth to hers…

Rei gave in.  She couldn't resist.  She was in love with this man and now she would never have to leave…

Maximilian was the one to pull away.  Looking into her eyes, he stated, "You aren't leaving."

"Never." Ever.

He kissed her again, but with more force and meaning this time.  Maximilian's arms supported the blissfully ecstatic Rei.  This kiss was much longer than the first, and Rei felt like she was floating on air.

Rei broke the kiss.  "When did you know?"

"Hmm?" He rested his cheek on her head.

"When did you know you loved me?"

He looked down at her.  "Last night.  In the lobby, when you fell…it's been so long since I held anybody…"

"I love you so much, Max!"  Rei sighed.  "But there has got to be some change..."

Confused, he stared at her.  "What do you mean?"

Rei reached up and brushed away Pegasus's hair that hid his Millennium eye from view.  "That has got to go."

"I thought you liked it.  I thought it made me look like a pirate." He smiled lightly.

"Oh, it does.  But it's not fair to the other duelists!"

Pegasus looked with shame at the floor, moving his arms to Rei's waist.  "What do you propose I do?"

"My guess would be that you have to have that taken out…and have a glass eye put in…so you can wear this mane of yours back in a ponytail once in a while."  She stroked the fine silver hair lovingly.

"And where does the Millennium eye go?" he challenged.

Rei thought as she pulled closer to Maximilian.  "Somewhere…where nobody can get it.  Where it's hidden from mankind forever.  And if there's one Millennium item missing, nobody can have absolute power…"

Pegasus smiled at his love.  "God, you're beautiful."

* * * *

*gasp* That's the end of the main story…epilogue time!


	6. Epilogue

Erm…this is two months after the whole story takes place.  I think that was explained when I wrote "TWO MONTHS LATER" in caps before the rest of the epilogue.  Whaddya think?  Erm…this is the last part of the story, please R+R!

* * * * *

TWO MONTHS LATER

"Does it hurt much?" Rei kneeled next to Maximilian where he lay in bed.  Almost his entire head was wrapped in white bandages.

"Not at all."

Pegasus had just had his operation – the Millennium eye was out and, instead of a glass eye, the doctor he visited had offered to, in fact, place a new eye where the Millennium item had previously been!

It had taken the doctor about four weeks to find an eye that was Pegasus's exact color – but he did it, and now Pegasus had to go around in bandages until the recovery was complete.

"Now, when the bandages come off and your left eye is blurry for a few days, don't worry about it – it's natural after this operation.  If it still blurs after about a week, call me," the doctor had said.  So after a few days of observation in the hospital, Maximilian was released to go home with his fiancée Rei.

Rei sighed and leaned her head on Pegasus's chest.  She had talked him out of constantly wearing the red suit and he was now clothed in blue jeans and a sweater.  His long silvery hair had been cut two inches shorter and he wore it back in a ponytail, to get out of the way of the bandages.

Pegasus found Rei's hair and stroked it gently.  "When do the bandages come off?"

"In a few hours," Rei murmured.  She was enjoying the moment too much to ruin it by talking.

Both fell fast asleep.

A few hours later, Rei began to stir.  She checked her watch and gasped.  "It's four o'clock already!"  Leaning over Maximilian, she gently shook him.  "Max?"

"Hmm?" He shifted and stretched.

"They can come off now."

"Then take them off."  He smiled.

Rei leaned over and untied the knot that held the ends together.  She unwrapped the seemingly 16 layers of bandages until Pegasus's face could be seen.  He blinked a bit in the bright light; he had been in darkness for a week now.

Rei felt like crying.  He had two eyes – two beautiful amber eyes.  And both could see…

"You're even more beautiful when I can see with both eyes."  He grabbed Rei and pulled her on his lap.

She blushed lightly.  "Is your vision blurry at all?"

"Nope."

Rei reached behind his head and played with his ponytail.  "Max…your eyes…they're so beautiful…"

Pegasus reached up with both arms and pulled her down on top of him.  He kissed her passionately.  "I couldn't have done anything without you, Sunshine."

She snuggled closer to him.  When Yugi went with his friends to the castle to duel Pegasus after he got ten starchips, Rei and Yugi's friends had a tearful reunion, along with swapping adventures.  Tea was mostly interested in the Rei/Pegasus story.  She couldn't believe they had fallen in love.

Now Yugi and the group had gone back to their home, Tristan a little hesitantly because, as you remember, he had had a slight crush on Rei when the group first met her.

"Who would have known it would be like this?" Maximilian spoke, almost to himself.

"I didn't…but I'm sure glad it is."  Rei hugged her love gently.  She gazed into both of his gorgeous eyes.  He looked back at hers.

"I'm sure glad it is," Maximilian repeated.  He embraced Rei.  He would never let go.

* * * * *

  *sniff* I love happy endings!  Well, that's it.  The story of Rei and Pegasus!  Please R+R!  Thank you so much for living through 5 chapters and this little ending!__


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